Egbert m



(No Model.)

B. M. G. BROWN.

BOAT DETAGHING APPARATUS.- No. 878,768. Patented Feb. 28, 1888.

WITNESSES Edwin jyewezz,

lhvirnn Srarns l n'rnn'r @FFME.

ROBERT M. G. BROWN, OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

EOAT BETACHING APPARATUES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. $378,763, datedFebruary 28, 1888.

Application filed October 27, 1887.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT M. G. BROWN, of the United States Navy, and aresident of the city of Morgantown and State of West Virginia, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Boat-DetachingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

It is my object in this invention to obtain a boat-detaching apparatuswhich will be certain and sure in its action, and which can be operatedwith ease and celerity. It is principally characterized by thecombination of a reversible hook having a retainingshank or tail-piecewitha locking trigger or lever which engages the said shank ortail-piece when the hook is in position to receive the boat-supportingblock, and is adapted to hold said hook in that position. As soon as thetrigger is released, the hook is free, and by the weight of the boat thelatter will reverse and thus re lease the block. Two of these hooks areour ployedone at the bow and one at the stern of the boatand theirtriggers are so connected that the two will be released simultaneously.

The nature of my improvement can best be explained and understood byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a generalview in side elevation of the apparatus, the boat being shown insection. Fig. 2is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one of thehooks and the parts in connection with which it operates. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the same. Fig. 4c is a sec tional view of amodification, hereinafter more particularly referred to.

I will first describe the construction and arrangement of the hook andthe parts in con nection with which it operates.

The hook itself is shown at A. It is pivoted or hinged between thechecks of a suitable frame or casting, 13, the pivot being indicated ata. The hook is approximately of U form, pivoted at the bend a little toone side of the point where the ring I) of the lower block, 0, of thesuspending-tackle meets it. The limb of the hook on the other side ofthe pivot from the hook proper has the form of a shank or tailpiece, A,which,when the hook is in position to receive and hold the ring of theblock, 6X tends down between the checks of the casting or frame B, asseen in full lines in Fig. 2.

Serial No. 253,520. (No model.)

At. the lower end of the frame Bis a lever or trigger, D, pivoted at 0between the checks of the casting, and so placed that when the shank ofthe hook is in the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2 the saidtrigger can be moved, so as to cause one of its arms to overlap theshank. W'hen thetriggcris located or secured in this position, the hookwill be immovable. Two of these hooks or triggers are usedone at the bowand one at the stern of the boat, as indicated in Fig. 1. Various meansinanifestly can be employed for locking the triggers in position. Oneconvenient means for the purpose, which will permit of the necessarysimultaneous release of the triggers, is illustrated in Fig. l. Theouter arm of each trigger is connected to a chain, d, which extendsunder fairleaders or guide-pulleyse from end to end of the boat, and isprovided with a turu buckle, f, so as to lengthen or shorten it, asdesired. At a convenient point between its ends the chain is divided,and at this point its two parts d d are united by a pelican-hook, g,loosely connected to the end link, 71, of one of the partsas, forinstance, d. In order to unite the parts, the hook is first passedthrough the adjoining end link, t, of the other part, (1. A loose link,j, on part (Z is slipped overits end, and then through the end whichprojects beyond link j is passed a safety-pin, 7c. The chain beingadjusted to the proper length, it will be seen that when its two partsare drawn together and united by the pelican-hook the trigger D will bemoved into position to engage the shanks of the hooks A, and will belocked in that position, the safety-pin k preventing accidentaldetaching. When the boat is lowered and ready to be detached, thesafety-pin 76 is removed, and the link j is slipped off from thepelican-hook by hand. The parts of the chain are now free to separate,the triggers are released, and, by reason of the weight of the boat, thehooks A will reverse, so as to release the blocks, the hooks andtriggers assuming the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

A harbor-pin, E, for use in port, can be inserted through the checks ofthe casting B and passed through or over the shank A, so as to lock thehook in place, and thus make it a fixture and not reversible.

A loosely-pivoted safety-latch, F, can be combined with the hook, ifdesired. This latch drops by gravity until it brings up against asuitable stop, 8. The latch can be pivoted to the frame B, as in Fig. 2,or to the trigger D, as in Fig. 4. It readily lifts t0.1etthe ring ofthe block pass up into the hook, and then drops down again into positionto prevent the ring from becoming accidentally unhooked.

The fair-leaders can be dispensed with, if desired, and the chain (1 dled direct from hook to hook.

I-Iavingnow described my improvement and the manner in which the same isor may be carried into effect, what I claim herein as new and of my owninvention is 1. The U-shaped reversible hook consisting of the hookproper, A, and the shank or tail A, in combination with the pivotedtrigger overlapping the shank and normally pressed 20 by said shankoutwardly, or in a direction to release the hook, and triggerlookingmechanism, by which the trigger is held in place against said pressure,as hereinbefore set forth.

2. The two pivoted reversible hooks AA, 25 secured to opposite ends ofthe boat, in combination with the two pivoted triggerlevers, one foreach hook, and trigger-releasing mechanism, whereby said trigger-leversare simultaneously operated to release their hooks, as 30 and for thepurposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day ofOctober, A. D. 1887.

ROBERT M. G. BROW'N.

WVitnesses:

EWELL A. DIoK, MARVIN A. CUSTIS.

